3.5 stars
Solidly creepy thriller, although I wasn't 100% sold on the way things played out.
I'm not a fan of supernatural elements, and so that turned me against the book fairly quickly. I did appreciate one of those elements in the end though, so it wasn't all bad. It did cause the book to be more scary, but I personally like a straightforward mystery.
Some things I just didn't "get", but the overarching themes of this book are fathers and sons and the damage they can cause each other, and how those rifts can sometimes be repaired and sometimes not. Those portions of the story were the best for me, because I could feel the emotions that the author was putting into the tale.
This would be an excellent book to read in winter, because that would totally add to the creepy factor. Definitely a book worth reading, especially if you like to feel uneasy and scared throughout your reading experience.

The Whisper Man is a debut thriller by Alex North. It is a spine tingling and chilling story that will keep you up at night. The story revolves around a hauntingly twisted game between a Detective Chief Inspector and the psychopathic serial killer he brought to justice.
The Whisper Man has been in jail for twenty years when a boy disappears. Some of the details of the abduction are similar to the crimes of the Whisper Man - but he’s in jail, so the hunt begins again. Can the police find who is doing this? Will they save the boy? Can they stop the monster?
At the same time, Tom Kennedy, a recent widower, is having trouble connecting to his son, Jake. He is trying very hard, but Jake seems distant. Tom feels a move to a new town will give them a fresh start. They arrive in Featherbank just after another child has been abducted. How will this impact Tom and Jake?
I held held my breath at many points in the book. I was unnerved but I read on. I felt shock, fear, revulsion at the hunt for the psychopath. I also felt tenderness as father and son worked to find each other. The twists and turns are well planned and meant to shock, and there are many surprises.
I highly recommend this book. It is well written with very strong characters. There is both darkness and light in this story. It will chill you and at points it will warm you. Thank you you #Netgalley and #Celadonbooks for approving my request for an ARC. The opinions expressed in this review are solely my own.

The Whisper Man preyed on all of my worst fears as a parent, and this nail biter is definitely best read during daylight hours if you're at all a Nervous Nellie like me. Celadon has come out the gate so strong this year with unique debut thrillers, and Alex North's first book is another excellent story. It is intense despite the majority of violence taking place off the page and only being described in the aftermath, but it does its work psychologically very effectively. Like most thrillers, this one is plot heavy, and while there are a fair few characters, if there is anything the story may lack it's full character development. Hopefully Alex North has more stories to tell, as I'd definitely be picking them up. 4.5 stars, rounded.

It’s not often that I’m seriously creeped out by a book, I read some dark stuff and it takes a lot to rattle me but this one seriously got under my skin! Full disclosure, I listened to on audio thanks to my friends at Libro.fm and I assume this enhanced my enjoyment because the narrator was amazing and so many parts of this was just downright creepy due to the chilling narration. I’m sure it’s just as good in print form, but if you’re an audio fan this is a must.

I’m not touching the plot at all because it was so wickedly brilliant you just have to experience it for yourself. While the creep factor is high, it’s not totally disturbing or traumatizing, more spooky and eerie than anything else. It’s also pretty fast paced and told from multiple points of view keeping things exciting and engaging throughout. I was immersed in the pages of this one from start to finish, and what an ending, that final line gave me actual chills! Highly recommended for thriller lovers, a super impressive debut for sure!

The Whisper Man in three words: Atmospheric, Creepy and Tense

“Bad thoughts find empty heads.” The Whisper Man is one of the best books I’ve read in a long while. With shades of Stephen King, Thomas Harris and some truly terrifying moments, there was more than one occasion when I had to put it down. Creepy is the name of the game here, and making up for lost time, responding to regrets and moving on in the face of tremendous grief. Someone's whispering at the door, with fingers reaching through the mail slot...eeek!! And yet, it was also sad and funny and SO relatable. Some coincidences? Sure, but it didn’t matter to me, I was so invested. “...but grief is a stew with a thousand ingredients, and not all of them are palatable.” Everyone here is haunted...”all their hopes and dreams, and look what I’ve gone and done.”

P. S. Thanks so much to #NetGalley for the ARC.

A spine tingling read that keeps you on edge throughout. With a cast of characters that are believable and some that are eerily creepy, North knows how to write a scary story. With more than a few corkscrew turns and a bit of the supernatural thrown in, this book pushes all the right buttons.

I enjoyed this one BUT not in the way I thought I would. Having seen so many reviews of people saying they couldn't read this alone at night, I expected some gore and to be truly frightened. I never felt scared. Maybe as someone who reads thrillers on a regular basis I have a higher threshold for it all. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I had my suspicions about who was the bad guy was as soon as he was introduced. I was right which usually ruins a book for me but I enjoyed the ride along the way with this one. What I really ended up loving was the father-son relationships at play here. For a thriller, North took the time to really craft his characters' relationships. Beyond the serial killing, this was a book about relationships that were imperfect, emotional and real. This element played so well within the story - I found that I really cared about Tom and Jake and was invested in them.

“If you leave a door half open, soon you”ll hear the whispers spoken. if you play outside alone, soon you won’t be going home. if your window’s left unlatched, you”ll hear him tapping at the glass. if you’re lonely, sad and blue, The Whisper Man will come for you.”

Another element I really enjoyed was the supernatural aspect that was sprinkled in throughout the book. That is something that always intrigues me and I found it well done here. You find yourself wondering - was it real or all in Jake's head? Jake reminded me quite a bit of the boy in The Sixth Sense. He was sensitive, smart, emotional and very in tune with everyone around him. I loved his character!

So although not the scary, creep fest I anticipated - I enjoyed this well written, debut thriller and look forward to reading what North writes next.

The Whisper Man is perfect if you’re looking for your next creepy read.

Twenty years ago, a serial killer nicknamed The Whisper Man would whisper to boys from outside their window before luring them away. Recently - a boy was abducted and it seems to be following the same pattern. Only the Whisper Man was caught and is in prison...right?

Tom Kennedy and his son Jake have just moved to the town looking for a fresh start after the death of their wife/mother. But when Jake begins talking to an imaginary friend and saying some scary things...maybe this move wasn’t what they’d hoped.

I generally have a rule where I’ll read scary things only when the sun is out and switch to something lighter in the dark. This story had me so drawn in that I was stretching the rule - oh, I can read a little more in the dark, it’s still early, plenty of time before bed. And then it got so scary I was pretty sure I would never be able to sleep again. I highly recommend this book if you’re looking for those creepy vibes - but read it in the daylight!!!

Thank you very much to Celadon and Netgalley for the advance reading copy.

"If you leave a door half open, soon you'll hear the whispers spoken.
If you play outside alone, soon you won't be going home."

This chilling rhyme spoken among the children of the town of Featherbank provides a hint of the dark secrets of the town. The creepiness begins when Tom Kennedy and his son Jake move to Featherbank soon after the disappearance of a little boy Jake's age. Jake soon begins to hear whispers at his bedroom window. What follows is a frightening tale that will keep you up at night listening for whispers of your own.

A psychological thriller with a tinge of horror!

This first paragraph grabbed my attention and I was hooked!

<b><i>“The abduction of a child by a stranger is every parent’s worst nightmare. But statistically it is a highly unusual event. Children are actually most at risk of harm and abuse from a family member behind closed doors, and while the outside world might seem threatening, the truth is that most strangers are decent people, whereas the home can be the most dangerous place of all.”</i></b>

This book and the author’s writing gave me chills. It won’t easily be forgotten! North did an amazing job of bringing the eerie and dark Whisper Man to life.

<i><b>“If you’re lonely, sad, and blue, the Whisper Man will come for you.”</b></i>

A young boy who finds his mother dead at the bottom of their stairs...after she dies suddenly. A father trying his best to parent, through his depression and feelings of inadequacy. These rich and wonderful characters grabbed a hold of my heart!

It’s time for Jake and his father to move on with their life. A fresh start and a new house without sad memories. But did they pick the house...or did the house pick them?

Thank you to NetGalley, Celadon Books and Alex North for this ARC, in exchange for my honest review!

<b>My Rating:</b> 5 ⭐️’s
<b>Published:</b> August 20th 2019 by Celadon Books
<b>Pages:</b> 368

<b>Recommend:</b> Yes!

I was excited to receive an ARC from Netgalley after hearing so much buzz about this book. It definitely lived up to the hype! This was creepy to a point I almost had to stop reading. I don't enjoy books where bad things happen to children, but this one didn't let things get too graphic. Some of the plot twists could have been a bit much, but this author handled them well and made them feel completely plausible. This book is for you if you enjoy a good criminal mystery.

4.5 huge stars! Dark, wicked but rounded out with a great father/son/unconditional love. Such a well paced, well thought out plot. This one will definitely be a hit for those looking for one more summer read!

One of my favorite thrillers I read this year! I’m so grateful to NetGalley and Celadon Books for my copy because I loved this one. What really stood out for me and made me love this so much is the relationship between Tom and his son, Jake. Many thrillers are simply unreliable narrators filled with one twist after another without much in the way of character development. This book is different. It’s a story of fathers and sons within an eerie, creepy mystery about a serial killer that terrorized a small town.

This book is everything a thriller should be. I don’t want to say anything else that would give away any more details. I will say one other thing: READ THIS BOOK!

Wow! What a debut!
Wanting to start anew after the death of his wife, Tom takes his son Jake and moves to Featherbank.
Twenty years ago The Whisper Man abducted and killed five young boys in this town. Now another boy has disappeared and the detective responsible for stopping the Whisper Man back then must now figure out if this similar crime is by an accomplice or a copy cat. This is just a hint at the story that unfolds as it's so much more than what it seems. It's a story of father's and sons, inadequacy and hope, failures and redemption. And still that only scratches the surface. Frightening, creepy and downright unnerving this novel checks all the boxes a great story should. Well drawn characters, perfect plotting and pacing, engrossing prose, and an emotional connection that I didn't expect. I loved this one and very highly recommend it. I look forward to what the author does next and say well done, mate!

Not as creepy as I thought it would be! I definitely wanted a little more from the characters, the writing was great and I’ll definitely be picking up more by this author.

The Whisper Man came highly recommended and it did not disappoint. In a very oversaturated thriller market, it can be hard to find a suspenseful book that feels unique and satisfying anymore. I was hesitant to read another so-so thriller but The Whisper Man was a pleasant reading surprise.

The characters are detailed and well written and the story is captivating and chilling. This book takes you on a suspenseful ride while also keeping you guessing until the very end. It's a race against time to solve a decades-old mystery that just might be happening again and it is full of twists and turns with a satisfying ending. If you love suspense and thrillers, you should definitely add this one to your reading list!

I am just going to throw it out there right out of the gate... This book freaked me out! I read this while on vacation... probably not my best choice. Reading in a bed that was not my own, turning the pages while silently freaking out over every little unfamiliar sound around me. I kept looking at the door, making sure it was closed all the way.

I have been waiting some time to read a book that I could say hands-down was eerily creepy and scary. This one is definitely it. I read it into the late/early hours of the night/morning. (Again, not my best choice.) I just couldn't stop reading. 

North is definitely an author who deserves the praise he is already getting. He can spin a tale that flows and punches you in the gut like few others. And the twists in the book that I didn't see coming... I had it all wrong. I was on the right track, wrong train. Once the pieces I didn't even know needed to fall in place, fell into place, the book got even better.

This book is how all thriller and horror books should be. Creepy. Thrilling. Page-turner. Excellent plot points and follow through. I can't think of enough great things to say about this one.

Wow! What an edge of your seat thriller this is. Not my usual go to kind of genre, but a friend recommended that I read it, and I'm so glad I did.

I was hooked right from the beginning with the mystery that unfolded and the intriguing characters that developed nicely on the following pages. I loved the switches from third person to first person, which I rarely find but have enjoyed in the past. To be clear, there was one character's POV written in first while the others were in third.

The ending was absolutely perfect!

So well done: Well-crafted, nicely complicated twists and turns, decent depth of character development, as creepy as The Outsider by Stephen King. Definitely a new favorite. Cannot wait to see more from Alex North.

Thank you to Celadon Books for a free digital galley of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Celadon.
I knew this would be a great book because of who the publisher was - I adore Celadon books so much.

The Whisper Man is mystery/thriller and with that said i think it is best to go into without knowing too many details.
This book will creep you out and keep you up all night.

it is a quick paced book that gave me so many feelings. It's a suspenseful novel but also one that can bring the tears to your eyes.

I highly recommend this book.